<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; min-height: 14px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Submitted Letter to Editor, DNews</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; min-height: 14px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">An important idea was not conveyed by your coverage last week of the City Council hearing. The idea is important because it is far reaching -- beyond the Thompson Rezone. Diane French, Palouse Water Conservation Network presented an analysis of "water liability." Read full report here: <A href="http://www.nosuperwalmart.com/documents/watermay1.shtml">http://www.nosuperwalmart.com/documents/watermay1.shtml</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; min-height: 14px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Diane's presentation analyzed the platted but not yet improved residential lots in Moscow, based on a map generated by Latah County’s GIS system. These lots are available for development without any further review other than a building permit. They have a right to connect and use City water. While there is a small degree of uncertainty in the data because the county tax system often lags behind on the ground reality. Not considering the Thompson property, Diane's report found a "water liability" of 17% (over 140 million gallons per year (MGY)) above 2005 pumping volumes. In 2005, Moscow pumped 819 MGY, the Palouse Basin Aquifer agreement provides an absolute cap on total pumping at 875 MGY. Current platted lots could push Moscow 84MGY over the cap. This number does not include irrigation water for the new City ball fields along Palouse River Drive.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; min-height: 14px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Water policy and planning is important because static water levels in the City’s main pumping well continue to decline even with the recent conservation savings by Moscow citizens and businesses. The Moscow Comprehensive Plan in the general discussion reads: “Future planning decisions concerning any new development in the Moscow area should consider the amount of water to be used by the development, the nature of the water use, and the source of the water supply.” A recent discussion on Vision 2020 explored ways to address this water shortage, including a concept for securing new water for development from conservation measures among existing uses. Please continue your Palouse Water series with more articles exploring these issues.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; min-height: 14px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Nils Peterson</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Moscow</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>